Ponygon and Kafk Sunbeam
Ponygon (ウマゴン Umagon) and Kafk Sunbeam (カフカ・サンビーム Kafuka Sanbīmu, usually translated as Kafka Sunbeam in the Japanese version) are two characters in the manga and anime series Zatch Bell!, and two of the main protagonists in the series, although Kafk does not appear until midway through the second season. Ponygon specializes in Armor Magic and has some affinity to fire. Biography Ponygon Schneider (シュナイダー Shunaidā), nicknamed Ponygon by Kiyo, is a mamodo who looks like a horse, sounds like a sheep, and acts, for the most part, like a dog. Ponygon is seen many times throughout the series following Zatch around, but he was not officially introduced until the episode 23. In the manga, Ponygon discovers Zatch at the end of his trip in England in chapter 53, but the anime introduced Ponygon in Japan earlier to show him off while following him and Kiyo to England to follow with manga continuity. His book owner Kafk is found in episode 58 of the anime and was introduced in chapter 121 of the manga. When Ponygon was two years old, it was shown that he had a difficult time making friends with other mamodo children, because of his belief that his kind, the horse tribe of mamodo, were slaves to other mamodo tribes like the humanoid tribe. This was shown when he witnessed another humanoid mamodo ride on the back of his father during a parade. Because of this, he showed hostility towards anyone who appeared as though they could treat him like a servant and ride on his back; his father paid this no mind, as he figured that Ponygon was too young to understand. His life changed when he met a young Zatch, who interpreted his harsh "Meru-meru-me~!" as an offer of friendship, making Zatch Ponygon's first friend. At first, Ponygon showed no form of kindness towards Zatch, as he did things like ate both their boxed lunches and avoided him whenever possible, but Zatch remained ever confident that Ponygon was his friend and his mother continued to encourage him to act nice towards Zatch. One day, while enjoying an outdoor lunch, Ponygon's father was bitten by a poisonous snake and was left in a critical condition from its venom. Ponygon attempted to get the medicine for the poison, but his father told him to carry Zatch, as he could tell what antidote was needed but he was still too young to talk properly. Ponygon expected Zatch to say no due to his harsh treatment of him beforehand, but Zatch agreed without a second thought, shocking Ponygon, but making him happy, allowing him to finally consider Zatch a friend. Ponygon eventually realized, after seeing the mamodo that rode his father visit him in the hospital, that other mamodo riding on the backs of his tribe was one of the many ways mamodo work together. As he was chosen to participate in the battle for mamodo king, his mother told him that the one thing more important than becoming king was having a friend. Ponygon makes fast friends with Zatch Bell and Tia, but not with Kiyo Takamine. Ponygon bites Kiyo's hand when Kiyo and Ponygon first meet. The frayed relationship is further strained when Kiyo sees that Ponygon is having difficulty trying to untie his spellbook from a rope net, and decides to help him by cutting the ropes. Ponygon becomes angry because his mother had made the rope herself, and now Kiyo had ruined it. Since Ponygon can't say anything except "Meru meru me", Kiyo had no idea what he was saying or what he was so upset for. Ponygon subsequently beats Kiyo up. Kiyo later bans Ponygon from his house, then went to look for him after his classmates forced him to. After talking with Tia, Kiyo came to realize that Ponygon, being on Earth without a book owner, must feel extremely lonely, and the reason he bonded so well with Zatch and the others was because he thought of them as companions and fellow mamodo, and he gets along with Kiyo's classmates because he hoped that maybe one of them would end up being his book owner. Kiyo also comes to see that Ponygon only felt hostile towards him because he already had a mamodo, so he found no reason to try to get along with him. When Kiyo finally finds Ponygon, he tells Ponygon that he could stay with him and Zatch until he finds his book owner. With the help of Kido and Dr. Riddles Ponygon found his human partner, Kafk Sunbeam, in the Mochinoki Town Square, around the time everyone was preparing to fight Lord (aka Zofis) and his army of 1000-year-old mamodo at the Devolo Ruins in South America. However, Ponygon refused to fight due to his dislike of conflict. Nonetheless, Ponygon joined Zatch, Kiyo, Tia, and Megumi to the Devolo Ruins to battle Zofis. As time passed, Ponygon began to suffer from an internal conflict; his fear of fighting and his desire to aid his friends, who were gathering their courage and fighting with all the strength they had while he could only watch and offer little to no help. During the battle with Dalmos, in which Laila betrayed Zofis and offered the group a chance to escape, Ponygon hesitated to leave. Kiyo stated that it was fine and he had done enough, understanding that Ponygon also disliked Kiyo due to his belief that Kiyo was the one dragging Zatch into battle. After hesitating more, Ponygon left, but encountered Sunbeam outside and indicated how he had made his decision to fight. Even though he knew there was no turning back as soon as Sunbeam read the book, Ponygon accepted his decision to fight, with no intention to turn back. Eventually, after a hard battle in which Ponygon and Sunbeam showed an incredibly strong bond despite having known each other in such a short time, immediately unlocking their second spell and showing perfect coordination between partners. Ponygon then won his first battle against Dalmos. He later supported Zatch in other battles against enemies like Pamoon, Demolto, and even Zofis himself by fighting head-on as well as letting him and Kiyo ride his back.( Possibly implying that he was now friendlier with Kiyo) In the Faudo Arc Ponygon found a rival in Karudio, a horse mamodo like him who had ideals and opinions that completely opposed his. Karudio and his partner were disgusted with mamodo that formed alliances with other mamodo, stating that Ponygon had "the stench of other mamodo on him," as opposed to Ponygon and Sunbeam, who believed in the limitless power produced by teamwork among allies. Ponygon later assisted Zatch in the attack on Faudo, and eventually overcame his differences with Karudio. Ponygon only speaks the phrase "Meru meru me" or a variant thereof; it is Japanese sheep onomatopoeia. Since Ponygon cannot not speak in a language the others could understand, Kiyo couldn't figure out that his name is Schneider, and nicknamed him Ponygon instead. Kiyo decided to call him "Ponygon" (Umagon in the Japanese version) because he's a horse (馬 uma) and ''-gon'' is a suffix meaning "monster") and when Schneider hears the new name, he went ballistic and beat Kiyo up again, although, in later episodes, he seemed to be more used to the name. Recently, Zatch seems to almost remember Ponygon's real name Schneider after getting his memories back from Zeno, but nonetheless refuses to stop calling him "Ponygon". In the manga Ponygon made it all the way to the King's Festival, the final event in the Battle to Determine King of Mamodo World that includes the last 10 mamodo in the Mamodo World. After learning of the king's privilege, the state of the Mamodo World, and the threat posed by Clear Note, Ponygon goes to Africa, as recommended by Dufort, the former bookkeeper of Zatch's brother Zeno, to build up his animal instincts together with Kafk who is there expanding his company during the ten months he is recuperating after his battle with Zatch, Ashuron, and Brago. While training, Ponygon is asked by Dufort to remember the memory he had of when he was two years and four months old, as it would be the key to drawing out his hidden power. The experience of living in the wild and struggling for survival changes both Ponygon and Kafk's physical appearance, giving both of them longer, wilder hair as well as a more muscular body and a new spell Shin Shudoruku. After the ten months of training pass for the surviving mamodo, Kiyo and Dufort formulate a plan for defeating Clear, which involves Ponygon and Kafk attacking from another direction along with the others: an ambush. However, they later meet with Zatch, Kiyo, Tia, and Megumi as they are in a private jet and are being attacked by Shin Kuria Seunousu Bādorerugo, one of Clear Note's ultimate spells (the left hand of his Shin Kuria Seunousu), and overpowering it in an aerial battle. During the battle, as the skeletal bird begins to gain the advantage with its "disintegration on contact" feature, Kafk reveals that Ponygon truly did struggle to stay alive and was kept going by the thought of his friend Zatch. Ponygon remembered Kafk telling him that no matter how much injury or suffering he went through in his days, in the end, he was alive. With help from Zatch and Kiyo, who Ponygon placed all his faith in, managed to reunite with his friend. Ponygon then aided further by flying Zatch's group halfway around the world, using a function in his armor to fasten everyone onto his back while Tia defended the group with her enhanced defenses. After Tia's book is burned and Brago arrives to battle Clear, he offers to carry Zatch and Kiyo the rest of the way to the battleground, although he appears too tired and beat up to keep going on, as casting the Shin Shudoruku spell twice in a row has severely weakened him. Casting ''Gou Shudoruku one final time, Sunbeam asks Ponygon to take Zatch and Kiyo the final battleground while he tearfully asks Megumi to burn his own Mamodo's book, respecting his partner and knowing that he is too tired to fight any longer. As he disappears, Ponygon's armor cracks and deteriorates, yet he smiles happily, remembering all the battles that they fought together; Zatch exclaims that he wanted to have a fair fight with Ponygon to determine the king, but Ponygon continues to smile, happy that Zatch was his friend and that he could be of some use to him. He ranked 4th Place in the fight overall.'' After Zatch won the battle and became king of the Mamodo World, Ponygon was revived, along with all the other mamodo in the Mamodo World, and given back his enhanced body. He is seen dancing with Zatch as they head off to school (Zatch still calling him Ponygon, and a nearby Tia, who had found out Ponygon's real name, asking if it's all right not to call him Ponygon). Like the other mamodo, Ponygon was entitled to send a letter and postcard to his former partner, Sunbeam, along with a picture of all the mamodo that participated. He is voiced by Satomi Kōrogi in the original Japanese version and by Dave Wittenberg in the VIZ Media dub, Satomi Kōrogi's version was originally the version for the Stonestream Recording Dub he is now voiced by David Stenstrom. Ponygon ranked second in the most recent Shonen Sunday popularity contest in Japan. Kafk Sunbeam Ponygon's reader is later revealed to be Kafk Sunbeam (Kafka Sunbeam in the Japanese version), He is a quiet, smart and easy-going man in his early thirties with blond hair, green eyes, and wears a green vest, a white shirt under his vest. He also wears light brown pants and dark brown shoes. Unlike Zatch's other friends, Tia and Kanchome, whose bookkeepers are celebrities, he is an automobile engineer who has come to work from Germany to Japan, similar to Ponygon's roaming from England to Japan. Kafk first meets Ponygon when a dog runs off with his book. He calms the dog and takes the book and holds on to it until they meet again at the Devolo Ruins and battle Dalmos. It is later revealed that he came to meet Ponygon at the request of Dr. Riddles which explains the note left by him telling Kiyo the location of Zofis' ruin-base. Ponygon did not want to fight, but Kafk secretly traveled to the Devolo Ruins anyway, believing that Ponygon would make the right decision. Although he seems to understand Ponygon in his own strange way, he too calls the horse by the name Kiyo had given to him. Ponygon then subsequently tries to use body language to prove his name is "Ponygon" (physically forming the katakana of his name), but, yet again, no one understands the horse mamodo. During the Faudo arc, he gains a crush on Elle (to Tia and Megumi's embarrassment). Sunbeam has a philosophy to be a "cool adult," and doing things like abandoning Ponygon or his friends tend to go against his principles, quickly earning him the trust and friendship of the others. He likes to use the word "groovy" and uses lingo like "dude", "Rock' n' Roll" and "cool" frequently but says "groovy" more often. When speaking to Dr. Riddles in the Japanese name, instead of referring to him as Nazonazo-hakase (Dr. Nazonazo Hakase), he literally says "Doctor Nazonazo" (ドクトル・ナゾナゾ Dokutoru Nazonazo). .]]After the battle, it is revealed that he is living in Africa with Elle, presumably as a couple, where they take care of the animals and he continues his work at the car company there, which is doing well. Like all the other partners, he got a postcard from his former partner Ponygon, showing that he is doing well. He is voiced by Hozumi Gouda in the original Japanese version and by Henry Dittman in the VIZ Media dub, he was voiced by Phillip Avalos but is now voiced by Jonah McGary in the Stonestream Recording Dub. List of spells Ponygon's fighting ability is his animal instinct. It is not completely developed yet, due to his fear of fighting other mamodo, so he needs more training. Most of Ponygon's spells are geared toward releasing his inner animal through special armor that increases his agility and strength. He also has the ability to create armor that not only grants him more power and speed but grants him manipulation of the element of fire. Anime and game-only spells Spellbooks they burned * Dalmos, at the Devolo Ruins (episode 65) * Fango, inside Faudo (with help from Riya) (chapter 229; in the anime, Ponygon has the help of Karudio instead) * Zaruchimu, inside Faudo (chapter 230) * Jedun, inside Faudo (with help from Karudio) (episode 141, anime-only) * Bari, inside Faudo (at Gustav's request) (chapter 241) Trivia *Of all the mamodo with Shin-class spells in the series, Ponygon has the fewest spells (Rein may have the same amount of spells as Ponygon, but it has never been revealed if he has more than four spells in the manga). *Ponygon also has the distinction of being the final non-humanoid mamodo remaining in the Mamodo Battle. *Ironically for a horse, Ponygon does not like carrots as displayed in various episodes such as in EP043 and EP046.Ponygon's a horse, whenever his spells are used, he transforms into a unicorn or mythical horse. *Whenever Ponygon's 2nd, 3rd, or 4th spell are used, his physical strength is so excellent that he's able to have 3 or 4 of his companions ride on his back, he still (in his normal form) possess enough strength to have Zatch ride on his back. * Of all Playable characters for the video game Zatch Bell! Mamodo Battles, Ponygon is the only one without spells, as he had no partner. Quotes * "Meru meru me~~!" References Category:Characters Category:Good Characters Category:Mamodo Category:Non-humanoid Mamono Category:King Festival Participant Category:Armor Category:Golden Book Mamodo Category:Male Characters Category:Ponygon's Family Category:Air borne Category:Non-humanoid Mamodo Category:Current Battle Mamodo